National Rifle Association

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group in the United States that was founded on 16 November 1871. The group was founded in New York to advance rifle marksmanship, with the Republican Party politician Ambrose Burnside serving as its first president. The NRA taught firearm competency and safety, but, after 1975, it lobbied for and against gun legislation, having informed its members about legislation since 1934. The NRA claimed that it was the oldest civil rights organization in the country, but it became a very controversial organization due to its opposition to gun control legislation in the aftermath of tragic mass shootings (including school shootings). Membership surpassed 5 million in May 2013, and the vast majority of its members were Republicans.